Fibroblast growth factor receptors across urothelial carcinoma landscape.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) signalling, especially induced by FGFR3, is a crucial factor in the pathogenesis of urothelial carcinoma and was therefore extensively studied over the last decades. In this review, we summarize the most relevant findings of the past two years. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent studies support the concept that FGFR3 mediates a pathway of urothelial carcinogenesis associated with low malignant potential. FGFR3 may represent a highly accurate biomarker for diagnosis and prediction of recurrence, progression or therapy response. The pan FGFR-inhibitor erdafitinib was recently approved for urothelial carcinoma, whereas several other FGFR-targeted drugs are currently undergoing clinical trials. SUMMARY: Numerous recent studies focus on the role of FGFR3 in different urothelial carcinoma subtypes and its potential clinical application as noninvasive biomarker, as well as therapeutic target.

Epigenetic alterations of testicular germ cell tumours.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs) exhibit, in contrast to other cancer types, a relatively low mutational burden. However, numerous epigenetic alterations have been shown to impact TGCT. In this review, we summarize the most relevant findings of the past 2 years. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent studies focused on the functions of microRNAs and the impact of aberrant DNA methylation. Moreover, several epigenetic drugs with antineoplastic effects in TGCTs were identified. SUMMARY: Aberrant DNA methylation and differentially expressed microRNAs have an important effect on TGCT pathogenesis. Moreover, differential DNA methylation patterns were found to be specific for different TGCT subtypes. Various microRNAs, such as miR-371a-3p, were found to be highly sensitive and specific biomarkers for TGCT. The epigenetic drugs guadecitabine, animacroxam, and JQ1 showed promising effects on TGCT in preclinical in-vivo and in-vitro studies.

Aristolochic acid and its effect on different cancers in uro-oncology.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To acquaint urologists with aristolochic acid nephropathy, an iatrogenic disease that poses a distinct threat to global public health. In China alone, 100 million people may currently be at risk. We illustrate the power of molecular epidemiology in establishing the cause of this disease. RECENT FINDINGS: Molecular epidemiologic approaches and novel mechanistic information established a causative linkage between exposure to aristolochic acid and urothelial carcinomas of the bladder and upper urinary tract. Noninvasive tests are available that detect urothelial cancers through the genetic analysis of urinary DNA. Combined with cytology, some of these tests can detect 95% of patients at risk of developing bladder and/or upper urothelial tract cancer. Robust biomarkers, including DNA-adduct and mutational signature analysis, unequivocally identify aristolochic acid-induced tumours. The high mutational load associated with aristolochic acid-induced tumours renders them candidates for immune-checkpoint therapy. SUMMARY: Guided by recent developments that facilitate early detection of urothelial cancers, the morbidity and mortality associated with aristolochic acid-induced bladder and upper tract urothelial carcinomas may be substantially reduced. The molecular epidemiology tools that define aristolochic acid-induced tumours may be applicable to other studies assessing potential environmental carcinogens.

Clofarabine Has a Superior Therapeutic Window as compared to Gemcitabine in Preclinical Bladder Cancer Models.

Current standard-of-care systemic therapy options for locally advanced and metastatic bladder cancer (BC), which are predominantly based on cisplatin-gemcitabine combinations, are limited by significant treatment failure rates and frailty-based patient ineligibility. We previously addressed the urgent clinical need for better-tolerated BC therapeutic strategies using a drug screening approach, which identified outstanding antineoplastic activity of clofarabine in preclinical models of BC. To further assess clofarabine as a potential BC therapy component, we conducted head-to-head comparisons of responses to clofarabine versus gemcitabine in preclinical in vitro and in vivo models of BC, complemented by in silico analyses. In vitro data suggest a distinct correlation between the two antimetabolites, with higher cytotoxicity of gemcitabine, especially against several nonmalignant cell types, including keratinocytes and endothelial cells. Accordingly, tolerance of clofarabine (oral or intraperitoneal application) was distinctly better than for gemcitabine (intraperitoneal) in patient-derived xenograft models of BC. Clofarabine also exhibited distinctly superior anticancer efficacy, even at dosing regimens optimized for gemcitabine. Neither complete remission nor cure, both of which were observed with clofarabine, were achieved with any tolerable gemcitabine regimen. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that clofarabine has a better therapeutic window than gemcitabine, further emphasizing its potential as a candidate for drug repurposing in BC. PATIENT SUMMARY: We compared the anticancer activity of clofarabine, a drug used for treatment of leukemia but not bladder cancer, and gemcitabine, a drug currently used for chemotherapy against bladder cancer. Using cell cultures and mouse models, we found that clofarabine was better tolerated and more efficacious than gemcitabine, and even cured implanted tumors in mouse models. Our results suggest that clofarabine, alone or in combination schemes, might be superior to gemcitabine for the treatment of bladder cancer.

The SMARCD Family of SWI/SNF Accessory Proteins Is Involved in the Transcriptional Regulation of Androgen Receptor-Driven Genes and Plays a Role in Various Essential Processes of Prostate Cancer.

Previous studies have demonstrated an involvement of chromatin-remodelling SWI/SNF complexes in the development of prostate cancer, suggesting both tumor suppressor and oncogenic activities. SMARCD1/BAF60A, SMARCD2/BAF60B, and SMARCD3/BAF60C are mutually exclusive accessory subunits that confer functional specificity and are components of all known SWI/SNF subtypes. To assess the role of SWI/SNF in prostate tumorigenesis, we studied the functions and functional relations of the SMARCD family members. Performing RNA-seq in LnCAP cells grown in the presence or absence of dihydrotestosterone, we found that the SMARCD proteins are involved in the regulation of numerous hormone-dependent AR-driven genes. Moreover, we demonstrated that all SMARCD proteins can regulate AR-downstream targets in androgen-depleted cells, suggesting an involvement in the progression to castration-resistance. However, our approach also revealed a regulatory role for SMARCD proteins through antagonization of AR-signalling. We further demonstrated that the SMARCD proteins are involved in several important cellular processes such as the maintenance of cellular morphology and cytokinesis. Taken together, our findings suggest that the SMARCD proteins play an important, yet paradoxical, role in prostate carcinogenesis. Our approach also unmasked the complex interplay of paralogue SWI/SNF proteins that must be considered for the development of safe and efficient therapies targeting SWI/SNF.

Evaluation of APOBEC3 expression as prognostic marker in squamous cell carcinoma of the penis.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the penis (PSC) is a rare disease with limited information on the molecular events leading to malignant transformation. In a third of PSC cases, presence of human papilloma virus (HPV) is found. The APOBEC3 family of proteins is known to play a significant role in defense against HPV infection, but their role in PSC is largely unknown. In this study, we aim to assess mRNA expression levels of APOBEC3 family members in HPV+ and HPV- PSC to get insight into their association with clinicopathological features and to evaluate their prognostic impact. Expression levels of six APOBEC3 family members in tissue from 50 patients with PSC were determined by RT-PCR and correlated with clinical and histopathological features. Lower expression of APOBEC3A, APOBEC3B, and APOBEC3C was observed in advanced PSC stages. Except for APOBEC3D, HPV+ samples showed higher expression of APOBEC3s compared to HPV- samples. In univariate analyses, APOBEC3A and APOBEC3C expression tended to be associated with disease-free survival and APOBEC3A expression with overall survival; however, multivariable analyses failed to confirm these associations with outcome. More extensive external validation and functional laboratory studies are needed to evaluate further their role in PSC development and progression.

Molecular and Pharmacological Bladder Cancer Therapy Screening: Discovery of Clofarabine as a Highly Active Compound.

BACKGROUND: The heterogeneity of bladder cancers (BCs) is a major challenge for the development of novel therapies. However, given the high rates of recurrence and/or treatment failure, the identification of effective therapeutic strategies is an urgent clinical need. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to establish a model system for drug identification/repurposing in order to identify novel therapies for the treatment of BC. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A collection of commercially available BC cell lines (n = 32) was comprehensively characterized. A panel of 23 cell lines, representing a broad spectrum of BC, was selected to perform a high-throughput drug screen. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Positive hits were defined as compounds giving >50% inhibition in at least one BC cell line. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Amongst >1700 tested chemical compounds, a total of 471 substances exhibited antineoplastic effects. Clofarabine, an antimetabolite drug used as third-line treatment for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, was amongst the limited number of drugs with inhibitory effects on cell lines of all intrinsic subtypes. We, thus, reassessed the substance and confirmed its inhibitory effects on commercially available cell lines and patient-derived cell cultures representing various disease stages, intrinsic subtypes, and histologic variants. To verify these effects in vivo, a patient-derived cell xenograft model for urothelial carcinoma (UC) was used. Well-tolerated doses of clofarabine induced complete remission in all treated animals (n = 12) suffering from both early- and late-stage disease. We further took advantage of another patient-derived cell xenograft model originating from the rare disease entity sarcomatoid carcinoma (SaC). Similarly to UC xenograft mice, clofarabine induced subcomplete to complete tumour remissions in all treated animals (n = 8). CONCLUSIONS: The potent effects of clofarabine in vitro and in vivo suggest that our findings may be of high clinical relevance. Clinical trials are needed to assess the value of clofarabine in improving BC patient care. PATIENT SUMMARY: We used commercially available cell lines for the identification of novel drugs for the treatment of bladder cancer. We confirmed the effects of one of these drugs, clofarabine, in patient-derived cell lines and two different mouse models, thereby demonstrating a potential clinical relevance of this substance in bladder cancer treatment.

Discovery of Molecular DNA Methylation-Based Biomarkers through Genome-Wide Analysis of Response Patterns to BCG for Bladder Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunotherapy, the standard adjuvant intravesical therapy for some intermediate and most high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancers (NMIBCs), suffers from a heterogenous response rate. Molecular markers to help guide responses are scarce and currently not used in the clinical setting. METHODS: To identify novel biomarkers and pathways involved in response to BCG immunotherapy, we performed a genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of NMIBCs before BCG therapy. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles of DNA isolated from tumors of 26 BCG responders and 27 failures were obtained using the Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip. RESULTS: Distinct DNA methylation patterns were found by genome-wide analysis in the two groups. Differentially methylated CpG sites were predominantly located in gene promoters and gene bodies associated with bacterial invasion of epithelial cells, chemokine signaling, endocytosis, and focal adhesion. In total, 40 genomic regions with a significant difference in methylation between responders and failures were detected. The differential methylation state of six of these regions, localized in the promoters of the genes GPR158, KLF8, C12orf42, WDR44, FLT1, and CHST11, were internally validated by bisulfite-sequencing. GPR158 promoter hypermethylation was the best predictor of BCG failure with an AUC of 0.809 (p-value < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Tumors from BCG responders and BCG failures harbor distinct DNA methylation profiles. Differentially methylated DNA regions were detected in genes related to pathways involved in bacterial invasion of cells or focal adhesion. We identified candidate DNA methylation biomarkers that may help to predict patient prognosis after external validation in larger, well-designed cohorts.

Waiting in the wings: the emerging role of molecular biomarkers in bladder cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Bladder cancer (BCa) is the fifth most frequently diagnosed cancer worldwide and is, in fact, the most expensive cancer on a per-patient to treat basis. There is a critical need to implement new tests into clinical practice to improve the quality of clinical care, decrease unnecessary invasive therapies and ultimately save costs. Currently, no molecular or genetic biomarker has been widely integrated into daily clinical practice. However, major milestones have been achieved in our understanding of the molecular alterations in BCa that will provide the basis for integrating molecular and genetic biomarkers into clinical decision making to guide management. Clinical implementation of such novel molecular and genetic concepts is the cornerstone in an effort to usher the age of precision medicine into patient care. Areas covered: In this review, the authors discuss the emerging role of molecular biomarkers in patients receiving BCG immunotherapy as well as neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy in BCa. Expert commentary: Molecular predictive and prognostic biomarkers in BCa are promising diagnostic options that will pave the way for molecular-based personalized medicine.

Progressive tissue biomarker profiling in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The recurrence rate of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is up to 60% within the first year of therapy. Accurate risk stratification is necessary for patient counselling, follow-up scheduling and individualized therapeutic decision making. Current prognostic models rely on clinicopathologic features, but their discrimination remains limited when in external cohorts. Despite intense efforts regarding the value of biomarkers in prognosticating outcomes in NMIBC, clinical utility remains suboptimal. It is clear that a single biomarker is not enough for the prediction of disease recurrence. Therefore, panels of non-redundant biomarkers have been created and integrated in clinical prognostic model further research relying on high throughput technologies is required. Areas covered: We performed a systematic research of the English-language literature on tissue biomarkers for prediction of NMIBC outcomes up to December 2017. Expert commentary: Despite the essential milestones achieved in our knowledge and understanding of the molecular biology underlying NMIBC, no biomarker has been implemented together with clinical feature in clinical practice. Integration of such biomarkers into predictive and prognostic model could, however, improve our accuracy, thereby paving the way for personalized medicine in the management of NMIBC.